Over-the-Air Antennas

TV Antennas
KMOS-TV digital channels are UHF, so the type of antenna makes a difference.

Digital channel 6 is actually broadcast on channel 15 (in the UHF band) which does not travel over hills and around obstacles. You may be able to overcome this by installing a bigger, taller antenna, but before you invest a lot of money in a new digital TV, you might try one of the digital-analog converters to see if you receive the signals you want. If not, then the key is to have a good UHF/VHF antenna. Mounted outside and high will improve signal reception. A rotor will help you tune in stations located in different directions.

There are different types of antennas for reception of different channels, and they come in different sizes for reception of near and/or distant signals. A combination (UHF/VHF) antenna, mounted outside and on a rotor will be the best arrangement, if it is feasible.

Rabbit ears (VHF) may work, but only if you are within 10-15 miles of the tower (located near Syracuse, MO).

VHF antennas work best for channels 2-13. These signals, as broadcast from the TV towers, are able to move over hills and around obstacles fairly well, but like anything loses power on the edges of its range.

UHF for channels 14 and higher. These signals are highly directional and even though they have a greater range than a VHF signal at the same power, they are not able to 'hug' the contours of the terrain as well.

This is important because many of the stations are assigned UHF channels for digital broadcasting. KMOS has broadcast in analog on channel 6, but for digital has channel 15. We are allowed to continue to identify ourselves as channel 6 because the digital receivers pick us up on 6.

Combination antennas are designed to capture both kinds, as well as FM radio signals. This includes set-top boxes with rabbit ears with a circular element.

Learn more at www.antennaweb.org, a site sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association and the National Association of Broadcasters. More technical information can be found at www.tvfool.com.

Restrictions on Outdoor Antennas
As directed by Congress in Section 207 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Federal Communications Commission adopted the Over-the-Air Reception Devices (“OTARD”) rule concerning governmental and nongovernmental restrictions on viewers' ability to receive video programming signals from direct broadcast satellites ("DBS"), broadband radio service providers (formerly multichannel multipoint distribution service or MMDS), and television broadcast stations ("TVBS").

A Multitude of Channels
The tower for KMOS reaches into 38 counties in central Missouri. We are pleased that we have viewers in so many communities, but recognize that you have the challenge of receiving other local stations, the towers of which are located in different directions.

To recieve the best signal from KMOS, orient your antenna towards the tower located near the town of Syracuse. The range of the signal is between 70 and 80 miles of the tower, and is strongly affected by terrain and objects.

The closer you are, the stronger the signal. With digital there will be no static to let you know that you are close to picking up the signal - either the signal will be there or it won't. The digital sets and converter boxes should have a 'signal strength indicator' to let you know there is a signal, and that adjusting the aerial or adding a signal amplifier would be helpful.

Each time you move the antenna, wait several seconds to see if the channel appears. Digital receivers have computers which need to analyze the signal before it shows up on the screen. By the same token, when you use the channel scan function, be sure to re-scan each time you make a change in the antenna.

We are happy to help answer your questions about KMOS reception or programming, so don't hesitate to contact us. While we cannot recommend any specific brands or distributors of reception equipment, we will work to ensure that you don't miss KMOS in 2009 and beyond.